Starter for automobile-motors



APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, l9l9.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

nnrrnn s'rarns PATENT onieion.

ivnin n. MUNN, on DRESDEN, ONTARIO, CANADA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEIL D. MUNN, of Dresden, in the county of Kent, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starters for Automobile-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to starters of the mechanical type operable, from a point with- With such starters it has so far been difficult to get satisfactory-results when a motor is cold or otherwise hard to 7 start, asthe movement of the revolution of the engine shaft obtainable has not exceeded from one quarter to one half a revolution, and my object is to devise a mechanical movement which will fit into the limited space available and which will give substantially one complete revolution to the engine shaft. c

I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter, described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved starter partly broken away;

Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same, partly in section and partly broken away;

Fig. 3 a horizontal section of the same on a larger scale;

Fig; 4: a section of the clutch which permits the engine shaft to run ahead of the starter;

carshowing the preferred location of the starting crank; and

Fig; 6 aplan view of the same.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

1 is the engine shaft of the motor of an automobile. On the end of this shaft is fitted a sleeve 2, the outer end of which is notched for engagement with the starting crank. The usual fan belt pulley 3 is secured to the sleeve by means of the pin at. which passes throughthe pulley, sleeve and engine shaft. 011 the sleeve is also loosely tted the spur gear 5, and means are provided whereby the gearis given a driving engagement with the sleeve 2 to turn over the engine shaft, while the'engine shaft free to run ahead of the pinion. The preferred arrangement is shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 6. The sleeve 2 has wedge srnnr'nn son meteorite-Mot ons.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

111g. 5 a side elevation of part of a motor shaped notches 6 formed in part of its periphery in which are set balls or rollers 7-. At the bottoms of the notches there is just sufiicient room for the rollers, 'w'hile'as the rollers ride up the inclined faces of the notches they are jammed against the inner periphery of the spur gear 5.

Pivotally mounted on the outer end of the sleeve 2 is a rock arin'S held in place by the collar 9. This arm has a pinion 1010111 naled thereon meshing with the spur gear 5. 11 is an internal gear provided with lugs 12 whereby it may be secured to the engine bed concentric with the engine shaft, and pro- Patented Mar. 16, 1920; Ap ueatio'n filed April 9, 1919. Serial Nb. 288,835. i

pinion will be given a complete rotation while the arm 8 moves through an arc of something less than 180 degrees.

It is important in the caseof a back fire that the gearing should be out of mesh when the arm is in its initial position. The teeth of the internal gear are'therefore omitted from that part of the gear adjacent the pinion 10 when the arm 8 is in its initial position. The pinion is then free to rotate, if reverse motion has been given to the gear 5 by back-firing of the motor, without the arm 8 being affected. V I

To give effective leverage at the beginning of the operative movement of the reel arm, I' pivot on the end of the arm the link 13, and providea stop 14. on the arm which limits the swinging movemen of the linlii'n the direction of the shaft when the arm is in its initial position as shown in Fig. 1. This link pulls out more or less into alinement with the rock arm as the rock arm reaches its limit of movement in the other direction, as shown'in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Any suitable means maybe provided to rock the arm 8. In the drawings I show operating shaft, gearing and crank being suitably supported on the bracket 20 clamped to the steering post 21.

It will be necessary to provide means to prevent a backfire of; the motor from violently rotating the crank 19 in a reverse direction and possibly injuring the operator.

I therefore provide a frictional driving connection between the drum 16 and the operating shaft 17 adapted to release under the influence of momentum A simple arrangement is shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Acollar 22 is secured to the operating; shaft against which one end of the drum 16 bears. A coarse thread is formed on the operating shaft at the other side of the drum on which is screwed a nut 23; having a weight '24 secured thereto. When the operating shaft is rotated in the proper direction to rotate the drum 16 to start the engine, the nut 23 screwsitightly against the drum and the gear is given a driving connection with the operating shaft. However, if the operating shaft or drum is suddenly'stopped, as would be the case if the motor back-fired, the momentum of the weight 2 4: would continue the rotation of the nut 23 and unscrew it sufficiently to release the drums hen-conditions become normal, the drunris readily re-engaged with the operating shaftby suitably rotating the latter, The arm 8 is normally held in its initial position by the coil spring secured at one end to the arnr and at the other end to a stationary part. hat I claim as my invention is 1. In a mechanical starter for motors,

V the combination with the shaft to be rotated ofa spur gear"; clutch mechanism forming a driving connection between the spur gear and the shaftadapted to permit of the shaft running free of the gear; an. arm journaled concentric with the shaft .a pinion journaled on. the arm meshing with the gear wheel; and a stationary internal gear with which thepinion also meshes. g V A mechanical starter constructed asset forth in claim 1 in which, to prevent damagein case of back firing of the motor, the

internal gear isso proportioned that the pinion disengages therefrom when the arm is in its initial position.

' 3. A mechanical starter constructed substantially as set forth in claim 1 having a link for the connection of operating means pivoted on one end, means being provided limiting the swing of said link toward the shaft, when the arm is in its initial position. i

4:. In a mechanical starter for motors, the combination with thershaft to be rotated of a rotatable part; clutch mechanism forming av driving connection between the rotatable part and the shaft adapted to permit of the the clutch on a sudden stoppage of the turning movement of the operating shaft.

5. In .a mechanical starter for motors, the combination with the shaft to. be. rotated of a rotatable part concentric therewith; clutch mechanism-forming a driving connection between the rotatable part and the shaft adaptedtopermit of the shaft running free of said part comprising a part r0.-

tating with the shaft having peripheral cam notches formed therein and rollers located in said cam notches adapted to frictionally engage the inner periphery of the first mentioned rotatable part; and means for imparting a. turning movement to said r0tata ble part including an operating shaft, a rotatable part rotatably mounted on said operating shaft, a clutch normally giving the operating shaft a driving connection with the rotatable part, and momentum operating release means adapted to disengage the clutch on asudden stoppag of the turning movement of the operating shaft.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this 27th day of March, 1919. V

I NEIL n. MUNN. 

